Raven

Raven, the underdogs of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, will get the last laugh when all is said and done, as the band are — shockingly — still putting out solid albums, like this latest full-length. They've had their lows (being pressured to make Twisted Sister-like cartoon rock in the '80s and a more recent life-threatening accident where guitarist Mark Gallagher had a wall fall on him; he's recovered fine), but Walk Through Fire, their first full-length in a decade, is a highpoint. Opener "Against the Grain" is fast and hysterical, but super-catchy and memorable. "Breaking You Down" actually finds vocalist/bassist John Gallagher singing in a higher-pitched voice than the first tune, which is shocking; his air-raid siren vocals put the Halfords and Dickinsons of the world to shame. "Running in Silence" is a great example of the lost art of classic metal melody. Although the album gets a bit bogged down — there are one too many mid-tempo tunes and the intro, Montrose cover and live songs are a bit extraneous — it's mainly wildly enjoyable, showing off superb songwriting chops while still being hell-bent on having a good time even after all these years.